


and then there was you

by orphan_account



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Completed, Eventual Fluff, F/M, Falling In Love, Happy Ending, Modern AU, Murder Mystery, can u tell TLJ is my favorite star war, knives out - Freeform, very minor angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-07-25
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:49:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25474903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Obi-Wan's death ought to be ruled a suicide, but private investigator Finn intervenes, determined to find out who hired him as well as uncover the supposed open and shut case of Obi-Wan's passing. Rey is apprehensive of Finn's involvement almost as much as she is of Kylo Ren's sudden re-appearance into the family's affairs — convenient considering the state of Skywalker Publishing is up in the air.A Knives Out inspired AU
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 6
Kudos: 23





	1. Alibi

**Author's Note:**

> when I say inspired by Knives Out I mean that this story is it's own, though it does contain spoilers for the film. Any of the warnings from the film apply but just in case you haven't seen it: tw suicide, gore

The headlines were the worst part.  _ HEAD OF SKYWALKER PUBLISHING FOUND DEAD IN ESTATE HOME _

Ironic, considering the way Rose found him was a fast and ugly gash across his throat. As if his head were the issue here. By the time Rose opened the door to the study, the blood had dried and his body lay askew and so eerily still.

Rey held her in the quiet of the first floor balcony, soon the family would trickle back into the house, just as they did when Obi-Wan was alive. For now, they were alone.

Rey stroked the hair on Rose’s head and tried to get herself to say something and comfort the girl, but it all felt wrong in her mouth. She heard a car roll up to the gravel driveway and looked down at the girl before her.

“I can drive you home if you need.” Rey searched Rose’s eyes but they were full of tears, still spilling out of her despite the days that had passed since she found Obi-Wan.

“No, the detectives are supposed to come today to talk to everyone,” Rose managed to get out before taking another heaving breath.

“I thought they came already? Didn’t you call the police and they came by and swept the whole house?” Rey skimmed her hand over Rose’s fringe, fixing where it stuck to her forehead from leaning on the other woman.

Rose shook her head, “They were just first responders, the guys coming today are detectives.”

Rey scoffed, “Same difference.”

The doorbell rang too soon, another sob threatened to break out of Rose. Rey held her shoulders down with gentle hands, “Let me get it, I’ll set them up in the library. You take your time.”

Rose nodded, “Thank you, Rey.” The tender look in her eyes nearly wrought tears in Rey’s own eyes. She gave a small smile and turned before she also broke down. She had to be strong.

Through the ornate, misty glass of the door, Rey could make out the shape of two men standing on the porch. She unlocked the deadbolt and opened the door. It was overcast out, with the clouds neither threatening rain but still not allowing for any sun to break through. It all felt fitting somehow.

“Good morning, my name is Detective Dameron and this is Finn.” The man smiled at Rey in a way that seemed more like it was natural, rather than overbearing. He had a windbreaker on and it crunched as he lifted his arm to show her his badge. “Are you the keeper? Rose?”

“No, I’m— or I was— Obi-Wan’s nurse. Come in,” She ushered the door further open and the two stepped in. The other man, Finn, was more clean cut, in a full three piece suit and a leather bag slung under his arm. He didn’t look at Rey, instead taking in the decor of the house.

“Rey, then,” Detective Dameron confirmed, and Rey nodded, “I’m sorry for your loss, Rey. We’ll try to keep this quick, it’s not an easy process but we appreciate everyone’s cooperation.”

She knew these were just standard platitudes but she appreciated them nonetheless, “Let’s get you guys set up here, can I get you anything to drink, Detective Dameron?” She walked them down the hall and opened the double doors to the library. The space was wide, but with every wall covered with layer upon layer of books and only one set of doors, it would be hard for others to eavesdrop.

“Call me Poe, and I think we’re good for now, thank you.” The two men settled their items at the coffee table at the center of the room. They gave a quick, nervous glance at the ornate decorative circle of knives spiraling around each other, before shaking their heads and continuing unpacking their things. In a house with gargoyles and enough chandeliers to fill a hundred dining halls, guests were left with no choice but to surrender to the oddities.

“Ok, Poe. Well the family is still at the funeral, so they won’t be back for some time yet. Would you want me to give my statement now, while I’m here?” Rey suggested.

“No,” Finn cut in, looking at Rey directly for the first time, “Why don’t we wait? So is  _ everyone  _ at the funeral?”

“Everyone but me and Rose.” She chewed her lip, thinking of Rose with tears welling at the corners of her eyes.

“Rose is the one who found him right?” Rey nodded at Finn’s question, “Is she available to speak with us?”

“I don’t think—” Rey began before feeling a hand on her arm. She turned and behind her, the smaller girl peered in.

“I’m Rose, and yes, I can do it.” Rose’s voice came out strong and Poe gave her a wide smile.

Rey nodded and closed the doors as Rose took a seat across from the two. She gave Rey one last smile, as if to say ‘thank you’ and encourage her all at once. Rey ran to the bathroom straight after closing the doors, and threw up.

Leia gave Rey a tight hug, Han passing by and gave her head a quick ruffle before returning to his phone call. Luke kept his distance, giving her a solemn nod; and those were all the interactions Rey had with the Skywalkers before she was left to just sit and wait her turn. She stayed in the den with the dogs. They were old but Artoo somehow seemed to have a lot of life left in him, getting Rey to play with him or try to get her outside to run with him. Meanwhile the nervous greyhound Thripio preferred reluctantly following behind the other mutt, sometimes sticking his nose where he ought not to, and Rey had to remind herself that the quiet ones were just as dangerous.

Phasma slammed the door as she left the library, Rey looked down the hall and watched the tall blonde pull at the hem of her waistcoat, before storming to her room upstairs.

“Ben or Kylo or whatever isn’t showing up, so that just leaves you,” Poe peeked his head into the den and his eyes widened at the dogs gathered around Rey’s lap, napping away peacefully, “Remind me to show you pictures of my dog after this,” he smiled, as if the sight of the dogs relieved him after the long string of interviews they just ran.

“You have a dog?” Rey sat up, ignoring the whines the dogs gave in favor of crossing into the library turned interrogation room.

Poe closed the door and replied, “A little ball of fury named BeeBee. We give her all kinds of names though, I wouldn’t be surprised if she didn’t know her real name.”

Rey felt herself relax in the chair across from the couch where the two detectives have settled in. Papers and pens and coffee mugs Rose must have filled for them earlier. She noticed there were no photos,  _ thank god _ . The last thing she wanted to see were the post-mortem photos, or worse, the autopsy.

“Relax, Rey.” Poe’s voice was kind and he flipped to a fresh page on his legal pad. He pressed the red button on a recorder and leaned back into the couch, “Let’s start with the easy stuff. When were you hired?”

“Last year. I was first hired for less than ten hours a week as a part-time nurse, but as time went on, Obi-Wan’s condition dictated a full time schedule.” Rey leaned back herself, letting the answers to Poe’s questions roll out of her easy and slow.

“But you don’t live in the house with him, correct?”

“That’s correct. I live about a half hour away, closer to the city.”

“Run us through this family tree, here. It’s very convoluted from what I’ve been trying to see.”

Rey almost laughed as Poe flipped through his previous attempts. Rey could imagine, every member of the family saw the tree as a branch from themselves, not a part of something bigger. She hummed before answering, “Anakin and Obi-Wan were adoptive brothers. After Anakin and Padme passed, Obi-Wan was the natural predecessor to the Skywalker Publishing House. Anakin wasn’t close to the family apparently, but Obi-Wan brought everyone closer. Leia and Luke, twins — Anakin’s kids, they’re good people, and the real Skywalkers here.”

“Though Leia kept her own name Organa, even after marrying Han. And Luke, has he always, uh,” Poe waved a penned hand out in the air and Rey bit her lip.

“Luke never married. Teaching has always been his passion.” Rey smiled, “I did a research internship with him when he was briefly in England. That’s how I ended up here really. I finished school and came here on Luke’s good word.”

“And Mr. Kenobi hired you directly?”

“That’s right. We went through three contract revisions as his needs became more—” Rey struggled with the last word. She wasn’t a good liar at all.

“He needed a friend.” Finn interjected again. It seemed every word this man said had weight. He gave Rey a smile that calmed her despite the situation, “How does Phasma and Hux fit into this?”

“Phas is related to Obi-Wan by some distant marriage. Her late husband was Obi-Wan’s cousin or something. He passed suddenly but Obi-Wan took pity on her, bringing her and her new husband, Hux, into the family. He promised to take care of her.”

“That’s very kind of him,” Finn nodded and Poe went back to writing whatever she said that piqued his interest down. “Rose mentioned Foes, the ‘First Order’?”

Rey sat very still and nodded, “‘Foes’ is just what Rose and I ended up calling it. They trade and try to ‘play’ the market or whatever, but it’s really shady. They rank themselves like a militia and their CEO Snoke is the skeeviest man alive. They recruit people but the ones that can’t meet the goals end up in a huge amount of debt.”

“Did they try recruiting Mr. Kenobi?” Finn pointed a look at Rey as she bit her lip, “You were his closest confidante. He must have told you everything, not just the Foes, but with everyone here.”

Rey turned every face over in her mind, like she was flipping picture frames down.  _ No one is perfect, especially family _ . Though she did not experience the reality of one, she understood the idea of it well enough.

“You ask because you already know,” Rey frowned at the calloused hands resting in her lap. Her own hands, she reminded herself, as she tried to center her thoughts, “You’ve talked to everyone else in this house, you know already what you’re asking me.”

“Except for Kylo.” Finn paused before continuing, “and Kenobi.”

His name struck Rey and she took a long breath. “Obi-Wan was sick of Hux and Phasma trying to get him to buy in. He said he didn’t want to get involved, especially after Kylo.”

“What did he do anyways?” Poe flipped to a new page.

“He was in so much debt. I don’t know specifics, but in some way he did not measure up to their standards. Apparently Snoke took him in directly and set the bar way too high. He kept falling short and ended up in a scary amount of debt. And these people, they’re  _ bad _ . They had their hands in everything, and they were going to run Ben into the ground. They were going to press charges on the basis that because he owed them and neglected to pay,” Rey shook her head, “It was a mess. Han tried to save him by himself but it wasn’t enough. He took out every loan he could until even the sharks stopped shelling out for him. His credit score tanked, he had just retired so he had no cash flow, and above all else, he was so proud. That’s what Obi-Wan said, at least. He didn’t want to bring Leia down with him.”

“But it was too late.” Finn filled in.

“Leia lost her seat, before this last election. She stopped campaigning once she got word of the situation. She sat down with all the bills and paperwork and worked out a strategy. Once she had everything figured out, she called Obi-Wan. He let me listen to the voicemail, she said he was her only hope. The collectors only stopped calling a few months back. But Han, he wants to rebuild. He’s talking to his old business partner Chewie. Obi-Wan advised him against it, told him to just lead an honest life.”

“Leia and Han are still together, how does she feel about that?” Poe frowned.

“On paper, together. But Leia stays down in D.C., only comes back during the holidays where they have to come to the house. It’s just to keep appearances.”

“Wait so even after all of that, Kylo’s still with the foes?” Poe looked incredulous now.

Rey nodded, “He lives in a building Snoke owns. Kylo wasted his dad’s life for a rank that means nothing outside the First Order. He’s closer to  _ them  _ than he is to his own family, who tried to save his life.”

“How often does he come by?” Finn said thoughtfully.

“Not at all. His meeting with Obi-Wan before the party was the first time I’d even seen him in person, though I was upstairs helping Rose and he was on the first floor with Obi-Wan.”

“What did they discuss?” Finn continued.

“I don’t know. They fought, for sure, but I couldn’t hear anything.”

Poe interjected then, “Hey, get a drink of water, take a break and come back. We’ll finish up the details on the actual case and leave you be.”

Rey watched Finn and Poe have some kind of mental fencing match. She stood and followed Poe’s directions, wary of the nature of their questions but holding onto the promise that it’d all be over soon.

“So,” Poe began when she sat back down. Finn had taken off his jacket and stood peering out the window away from her, “Take your time, but recount every detail that happened the night of Mr. Kenobi’s passing.”

“It was his birthday, he had a party with caterers and everyone was there except Kylo, who left early. I went up with Obi-Wan to administer his medicine after the party ended. We ended up playing go, Leia came in to check on Obi-Wan for a minute, and I left soon after, at midnight.”

Finn turned then and looked back at her. “What was bothering Leia when she checked-in?” 

“She heard a loud sound. Obi-Wan knocked the board over. He’s sometimes a sore loser,” Rey smiled to herself, “I cleaned up, administered the medicine, and left. Last I saw him, he was standing in his office, assuring me that he would rest soon.” 

Rey’s voice tapered off as she imagined Obi-Wan, in all his wisdom and with that smile like he was so sure everything would be ok. She missed him so much.

“What medication do you give?”

“Every night, I gave 100 mills of Toradol through IV, and 3 milligrams of morphine to help him sleep.” Rey felt numb all over as she answered.

“I’m sure those details check out but just make sure, Poe.” Finn gave a short nod to the other man, “Thank you for your time today, Rey. And again, very sorry for your loss.”

Rey managed a quick “thank you,” on her way out, trying not to faint.

“Hey!” Rey felt her heart jump as Finn bounded for her. She finally calmed down after that questioning and she just wanted to crawl onto her futon and call it a night. Instead Finn beamed at her, two steps off the porch.

“What’s wrong, officer?” Rey huffed.

Finn nearly keeled over laughing, “Not an officer, a PI.”

“What’s a PI doing here?”

“Poe asked me the same thing,” Finn replied almost sheepishly, “To be honest with you, I’m not sure either.”

Rey looked over Finn’s face, but only saw honesty as he fessed up, “What do you mean?”

Finn licked his lips, “I was hired to investigate Mr. Kenobi’s passing. Anonymous client.”

Rey frowned, she shifted the weight in her hips. Hired by someone in the family, anonymously - but  _ who _ ? Rey looked up at Finn, “Why are you telling me this?”

Finn smiled, “I want your help investigating. You knew Mr. Kenobi best before his passing. Meet me here tomorrow morning.”

Rey wasn’t sure why she agreed, or why she trusted Finn, but she felt the weight of it like a stone in her heart. It was almost better than the nothing that had seized her since Obi-Wan’s passing. Almost.


	2. Guilty Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> some lines pulled from the movie directly, just to be transparent!

The overcast sky didn’t stop, instead stretching in a uniform off-white that seeped into Rey’s bones as deep as the chill in the air.

“Good morning,” Finn waved as Rey got out of her car. She gave him a short smile and walked over to the porch where they were just yesterday.

“Good morning, private eye.” Rey noticed Finn’s jacket and raised an eyebrow — it was either Poe’s or just a strange coincidence, but even Rey knew there was no such thing.

If Finn noticed her pause he did not bring attention to it, “You mentioned Kylo living in Snoke’s building, yesterday.”

“Yeah, it’s gentrifying the area. Sticks out like a moody sore thumb.” Rey passed it sometimes, running errands in the city. It was a really grey, corporate box of a building.

Finn made a noncommittal sound, “Do you know of any alternate address?”

“No, why?”

“Tried showing up last night to see if he was more open to talking one on one, but the doorman said he hasn’t seen him since last week.” Finn pursed his lips, “Regardless, let’s go.”

“Where?” Rey called but Finn was already bounding around the perimeter of the house. 

Rey made no mistakes. Obi-Wan was a clever man, and she was capable of a certain degree of cunning on her own. With Finn, though, it was proving difficult. Despite the intensity of this man’s convictions, he was also bright, cheerful even. He complimented Rey, and talking to him was so easy, Rey was losing that edge that made her aware of just how _wrong_ this was.

Obi-Wan was dead, and it was all her fault.

The morphine, the missing naloxone, the mix-up that ought to cost her her license. Instead Obi-Wan spent his last few minutes saving her life, and forgiving her all at once. When she was nothing but a sobbing mess, he held her and said in a tone that held no malice, “You’ll be ok, Rey. Just do exactly as I say.”

And so she did. She loudly clamored down the steps of the creaky house, alerting every member of the family she could, even murmuring the time as she passed Luke on the porch. She drove down and turned right after the cameras cut off, and snuck back up the siding, climbing up to the window where she clamored down the steps again in one of Obi-Wan’s robes. Luke made a passive remark through the window and Rey slowly climbed back up the steps. She felt her heart beat so loudly against her skin as she climbed back through the window and drove home.

Well, except for the vision of Obi-Wan splaying a knife across his neck. It was a visceral image, and Rey tried not to let it get to her until this was all done. _Until you get away with it_ , a darker voice within her snided, but she shoved that back down too.

As they walked around, Rey ensured two things. One, that she walked through the mud that she definitely tracked the night of Obi-Wan’s death. Two, that she hide the piece of wood that cracked under the pressure of her climb down the siding of the house.

Rey was successful in the first, trekking ahead before Finn could stop her. She apologized sincerely, and Finn gave her an exasperated smile.

The wooden piece was proving difficult. It was bigger than she remembered and she would not be able to hold it behind her back for much longer, especially as they neared the house. Finn turned from her to inspect the dirt again and she took the opportunity to fling the piece across the grounds. She was glad for her softball experience, she managed to send it further than probably necessary.

“Finn!” Poe’s voice interrupted the man from his inspections. He righted himself and Rey slowly walked up, watching as Poe sported a simple pullover and gave the other man the warmest smile she’d ever seen.

“Poe,” Finn smiled and reigned it in as Rey joined them, “Any word on Kylo?”

“We’ll see if he shows today. The will reading is this afternoon.” Poe shook his head, “Any luck today?”

“Just collecting facts for now, we’ll make deductions once we know everything we can.” Finn scratched his chin deliberating, “Poe, remind me. There’s only one way to the top floor, right?”

“Yeah, buddy. Those old stairs.” Poe pointed towards the general direction of the house, “creaks so loud, you really can’t miss when someone’s on it.”

“Interesting.” Finn spared a single glance to Rey before looking back. She stayed as still as she could, fearful that her body would betray her.

If it did, Finn said nothing of it, instead following Poe’s lead back into the house.

Rose opened the french doors and let the dogs roam the grassy fields. They never ran far, but they’d been cooped up because Rose didn’t want them tracking mud into the house. Rey helped her fix two mugs of tea for Finn and Poe, who returned to their post in the library. The other family members were slowly waking up.

Leia wandered in just as Rey finished pouring the hot water. “Are those cops still here?” She watched Rey drop two tea bags unceremoniously into each mug, giving the other woman a knowing look, and groaned. 

“They said they’re almost done.” Rey tried to sound assuring as Leia took a seat at the breakfast nook. Leia was strong, and her reputation did not exceed her, but with her back leaned against the thin cushions and her head looking out the window she looked almost weary.

“They’re waiting to talk to Ben, aren’t they?” Leia’s voice sounded strained.

“I think so,” Rey began filling the kettle with more water. She turned the stove back on and lifted the mugs over to the table. She dropped one in front of Leia and nursed the other from across the seat. The detectives could wait another five minutes for tea.

“Why don’t they just drop by his apartment and leave us alone? Funeral, processions, and the memorial.” Leia waved her hand at it as if she could chase them away like flies.

Rey contemplated her answer before slowly speaking, “They tried last night. Apparently he wasn’t there.”

“That kid, I swear.” Leia grabbed the handle and took a sip. “Didn’t even show up for the funeral. Not like it mattered, it was a closed casket anyways.”

“I understand.” Rey gave Leia a soft look, “I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry about. Uncle Kenobi needed you and you were there for him.” Leia smiled at her with a warmth that Rey was wholly unprepared for, “We’re all thankful for you. And I know I scold my son for not attending, but you are not at all at fault for not being able to go. No one blames you.”

 _But maybe they should_ , Rey shot up at the sound of the kettle whistling. “Gotta get these guys their tea before they come snooping.”

“Anymore than they already have?” Leia snorted. Rey tried to laugh as she fixed two more mugs of tea, but the sound came out hollow in her own throat.

Kylo Ren’s car was heard before it was spotted. The sonic boom of the bass shook everything, some electronic fizzing sound that only came from pushing the speakers to its physical limits. His black convertible rolled up to the long driveway and onto the lot. When he cut the engine, the air became strangely still.

Rey watched from the window, wishing the dogs were back inside already so she could hold them, instead of suffocating on nothing but her own thoughts. He walked up to the property in a crew neck sweater, but no jacket to keep him warm. The dogs ran over from wherever they were and hounded him.

“Hey, get off me,” he narrowly missed Thripio’s snapping jaw, hardly a threat now that the dog was practically toothless in his old age. Rey watched him flail and stifled a laugh.

Kylo resolutely marched past the dogs and sidestepped Poe standing at the door. Their voices carried as they entered the house.

“I have nothing to tell,” his voice sounded tired and he marched towards the living room, looking for something, or someone.

“C’mon, we’ll keep it brief, buddy.” Poe tried to smile, but she could hear it waver.

“Not your buddy,” and just like that, they were out of sight.

Rey leaned her head on her arm and sighed, looking back out the window. She could still hear them but Poe backed away in favor of a different fight, now emerging.

“I don’t understand, what are you accusing me of?” a shrill voice carried over the hall, they must be in the dining room, Rey absentmindedly observed.

“You know exactly what, Phas.” There was anger there, she could feel it even a few rooms away.

“Kylo Ren, check your temper before it blinds you,” that one was Hux, she could practically see his nose raised in the air with the pretentious attitude that always came with his comments.

They spoke quieter then, but not for long. This time Leia cut in, “Where were you that you missed the funeral?”

Han, gentle but just as loud, “He’s not a kid anymore, people grieve in all kinds of ways. Rey wasn’t there either.”

Rey hated that her name even came up. She wasn’t part of this family, not really. She was here for Obi-Wan, and without him she felt lost; unsure as to why she was still sitting on the bench in his office, staring out the window overlooking this wide estate that as of yet belonged to no one.

Rey stood up, feeling antsy, and crossed the room and out of the side door. It led to the balcony over the side of the house, a rare respite despite the magnitude of the house. As soon as she stepped out, she spotted Finn in the wicker chair.

“Needed fresh air,” he informed her, and she nodded understandingly.

“Is this what a family is like?” Rey shook her head looking over the horizon. The trees were tall but from this distance, they looked no better than a line of toothpicks.

“To a certain degree, I guess,” Finn looked back at the voices now mounting louder still, “but this family is definitely worse than the average.”

Rey scoffed, “Somehow I’m inclined to believe you.”

There was only a moment’s pause before Finn opened his mouth to speak, “You really cared for Mr. Kenobi, not just his physical health, but his wellbeing too.” Finn didn’t look at Rey, as if he was just passively observing and nothing more. But the words cut into Rey’s heart, and she nodded though unsure if he even noticed it.

They watched the dogs running back, and first there was a calm that settled over them. Then she saw Artoo with the mint green wood in his mouth. The distinct paint of the trellis where the roses and ivy climbed up the house as she did before.

Artoo dutifully dropped the piece into Finn’s hand and Rey suddenly couldn’t breathe.

“Where’d you get this?” he asked the dog, as if Artoo would answer his question. The little creature just craned its neck up, begging for a pet. Finn complied, wrapping his hand gently over the dog while he inspected the wooden piece.

Finn stood up suddenly, “Wait.” He walked off the balcony and Rey mindlessly followed. There was a ringing in her ears as she watched Finn make his way round the house, finally planting his feet and lifting the wood up to the siding where it originated. “That window.” He pointed up and Rey saw what she already knew was the beginning of the end.

The back door was closer, so Finn powered through the now escalated screaming match between the family. He paid them no mind and no one seemed to even register that they crossed the room, too caught up in hurling insults at each other than to question the two. Rey followed behind as quickly as she could, but not before making eye contact with Ben. His arms crossed and face red, he watched her move through the room like she was treading down No Man’s Land.

She paid them no mind, instead focusing on catching up to Finn as he bound up the stairs, two at a time.

They stood to the side of the carpeted floor as Finn leaned down to take a look. For the first time, Rey thought he actually looked like a detective, like a Sherlock Holmes with his face practically planted on the carpet next to a patch of dirt. “There’s no way we can get a print off this.” He sighed, righting himself but still not standing directly on the carpet, “But that mud is distinctly from outside the house directly. How would someone track mud front their shoes if they came from those steps? No, this carpet looks like it came from the foyer, not the attic of the house.”

“You’re right about that,” Poe agreed from behind Rey, “Where’d they come in from?”

Finn looked down one end of the long hallway at the window, and then the other, a wall that Rey knew was fake. A line of boards that she knew would reveal the window from which she climbed in.

“East, West,” Finn said, looking both ways before he walked to the boarded up end. With just a tug, the wall came off and revealed the window. Rey could taste metal in her mouth.

“Secret window, would you look at that?” Poe half-laughed.

“Yeah, would you look at that, Rey.” Finn pointed at the window, “Poe, check for prints.”

Poe gave him a small joking salute and Rey followed behind Finn as he descended down the stairs.

“That just leaves one clue then, and I think I’d have figured out this whole mess.” Finn sounded exasperated when he finally landed on the last step.

“What’s that?” Rey’s hands were clammy as she gripped the railing behind him.

“The toxicology report.” His eyes looked from her left eye to her right eye. He was searching for something. She would not give in.

“Who do you suspect?” She tried to sound calm while also hoping she wouldn’t faint right on the stairwell right then and there.

Finn’s brow knitted, “Who, you ask - so you agree that something is off? That there’s a culprit to a crime that has been committed here.”

“Are you saying he didn’t kill himself?” Rey frowned as the image of Obi-Wan slicing his throat before her flashed behind her eyes.

“Foul play,” Ben stepped into the foyer, looking up at Rey directly.

“I _suspect_. There’s still a lot more I need to understand.” Finn turned to look at Ben. Their eyes met for a brief, intense minute before the main doorbell rang. Everyone watched as a silhouetted figure stood behind the frosted glass. Another ring and Rose ran from the office over to the door.

“Oh you’re early, come in, come in.” Rose ushered the smaller woman into the space. She was leaning on a cane and had the thickest bottle top glasses Rey had ever seen. “You must be here for the will reading.”

“That’s right, the name’s Maz.” She smiled up at Rose.

“Right this way, Maz. Let’s get you set up in the living room,” Rose lead the smaller woman over. Rey looked at Finn but he wouldn’t meet her eyes. She sighed before getting caught in Ben’s intense stare.

“Let’s get this over with,” there was resignation in his voice but Rey didn’t have time to question it before everyone filed in behind Maz.

 _It’s almost over_ , Rey reminded herself, somehow the thought did not comfort her. Almost felt like too much, already.


	3. The Root of All Evil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Follow the money

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am impatient so I'm just posting every chapter since I have it done. Enjoy!!

Rey leaned into the doorframe, watching as the family finally each took a seat. Rey turned and grabbed Rose’s hand.

“How bad was that fight from before? I missed it.” Rey whispered to Rose and the other girl just shook her head.

“It got ugly but it’s good that you missed it.” Rose shuddered at the memory.

“Give me the sparknotes,” Rey smiled and Rose returned a small one in exchange.

“Ben’s not on the will. I don’t even know why he’s here.” Rose looked at Ben, his black hair curled right at the edge of his shoulders. Rey frowned, contemplating his expression.

“Maybe he’s a masochist,” Rose bit back a giggle at Rey’s remark.

“Ladies,” Finn stepped into the room and stood next to Rose. He gave them both a smile and Rey tried to keep her breathing even. This man was starting to suspect  _ something _ , the last thing she wanted to do was direct his attention to her.

“Have you been to a will reading before?” Rose asked, looking up at Finn but keeping her hands in Rey’s.

“They’re always boring.” Finn seemed off-put by the experience, “Long and full of technical lawyer garbage.”

Rose laughed genuinely at that, even Rey felt a giggle bubble from her lips. She turned and saw Ben quickly turn back to the front of the room. He was definitely looking at her but she had no chance to dwell on it, Maz cleared her throat, seated and ready to get started.

“Alright, let’s not take up more time than we need here. This isn’t exactly customary but strangely, a week before Mr. Kenobi’s passing, he altered his will. I’m here while I have you all in case there’s any confusion so we can work it out now and you all won’t bother me later.” She cleared her throat again, slipping the sealed envelope out of her bag. It looked so thin to Rey, especially in Maz’s small hands.

“Again, I don’t know the contents of the will so bear with me before I start reading it out.” She sent a distrustful glance at everyone across the room, “The assets we’ll be discussing includes the house, a variety of cash accounts and investments that sum to about sixty million dollars, and of course, ownership over the Skywalker Publishing House. With that being said, let’s see who’s getting what.”

Maz broke the glue-licked seal with a letter opener that looked like a sword. Or maybe that’s what all letter openers looked like, Rey couldn’t be sure. Maz pulled open a single sheet, and paused to scan the document.

“Well, this is a lot easier than I thought.” Maz gave a small smile then, the first one Rey had seen of the woman yet, “The assets, liquid or otherwise, go to Rey Jakku. Sole proprietorship of Skywalker publishing goes to Rey Jakku, and the copyright of the catalogue in its entirety goes to Rey Jakku.”

The room became unbearably small in that moment. There were sounds echoing around Rey, but she couldn’t hear any of them. Sounds of voices in denial, of feet shuffling across the old floorboards, and maybe even of the dogs barking in reaction to the yelling.

Rey couldn’t breathe. Her line of sight became the size of a dime and she struggled to keep herself upright. She felt Rose squeeze her hand and they tried backing away but by then they had lost that chance. Phasma, then Hux, then Han, they were all closing in and Rey’s head began spinning.

She thought she heard Luke’s voice say “leave her alone,” before she bolted. Rey got out of the house as quickly as she could, banking on the family fighting amongst themselves. She shut the door of her car by the time Hux managed to follow her outside.

“Rey, listen, will you?” Hux huffed insistently. The car wouldn’t start, no matter how many times she turned the ignition. She stifled a groan as she spotted Phasma exiting the house to join Hux.

Before Phasma could reach her, Ben’s car pulled up next to her. The top was up now so he rolled the window down so she could see him wave her in.

Rey didn’t even think, her body moved on instinct. She swiftly opened the door and shoved Hux aside in favor of jumping into Ben’s vehicle. Before she could even close the door, he drove them down the driveway and off the property. Rey thought she heard a hint of thunder as a tide of gray clouds rolled into the sky.

Rey finally let out a deep breath in the booth of the diner Ben drove them to. The rain was beating down on the sidewalk and they got caught in it for a moment between the car and inside the restaurant. The drip of his hair distracted her for only a moment until her order arrived. A plate of the perfect breakfast: two eggs, bacon, buttered toast, and a pile of piping hot homefries.

Ben took a sip of his coffee, nodding at Rey, “Eat, you look like you could use a meal.”

Instead of fighting him, she grabbed her fork and knife and got to work. She cut up the eggs and bacon into bite-sized pieces. “You’re not surprised.”

“By the will? No, I’m not.” Ben’s expression remained unreadable, so Rey caved to her appetite. She shovelled a mix of egg and potatoes into her mouth and she already felt better.

“Where are you staying?” Rey asked, her eyes wide and uncaring now that everything had gone to shit. She might as well know the truth. “Why have you been AWOL?”

Ben frowned before answering, “I had to get out.”

“So you’re not part of the foes?” She managed to get out before taking out half the toast in one bite.

“What? Do you mean the First Order?” she chewed as she nodded, “No, I’m officially done. They keep offering to promote me but there’s no point. Obi-Wan, his death, it’s my fault.”

Rey nearly choked. She coughed, trying to keep air flowing to her brain. Once she regained her senses she shook her head, “No, it was suicide.”

Ben shook his head and looked down at his hands, “No, see, I think Finn is right. Foul play. It’s too convenient.”

Rey knew there was more, but she couldn’t bring herself to speak.

“That night, Obi-Wan told me that I wasn’t on the will. I flipped. I was blind and in my rage I told Snoke. He called me weak and I got so angry, I hung up. I drove back and I was locked out of my place. He had the passcode changed.”

“Have you been living in your car, then?”

“No, I have an AirBnB.” He pulled out his phone as if proof of his statement.

“No friends?” She regretted asking as soon as the words escaped her.

“Not outside the First Order. They don’t let you have friends or family, really. Your whole life, it belongs to them.” His voice tapered off and he looked out the window solemnly, “But there’s no way it’s a coincidence. Someone killed him that night, and I suspect Snoke had something to do with it.”

Rey looked down at her hands, unable to look at him any longer. She couldn’t bear to look at the food or the rain or the man across the table from her.

When he turned back to her, she choked out a small sob. Then the tears began, rolling down her face in fat globs.

“Rey, hey, I’m sorry. I know he meant a lot to you, I shouldn’t be talking about him like this.”

“No, you did nothing wrong,” She tried steadying her breathing but it still only came out in short gasps, “You did nothing wrong, Ben, it was me.”

“That’s not true, I should be saying that to you.” He reached his hand over to her and she shook more when he held her hand.

“It was me,” she finally said it. Her body went slack against the booth seat as the truth rolled off her tongue, “I killed him.”

Ben blinked, once. Then again, “Slowly, take your time, but tell me everything.”

Never before had Rey been so happy that the town was practically dead. The next school semester was still a ways off, and so it was just them. Ben and the waitress that had her headphones in while she poured more and more coffee into his mug. The rain slowed it’s beating against the window and Rey thought of those random spatterings as a metronome to her story. She set the pace of each footstep through the house that fateful night to that beat. 

His eyes were on her hands when she finished. The empty plate had long since been whisked away and she kept twining her fingers and pulling them apart. She couldn’t keep still, and once she purged the words from her chest, her face felt so hot. She must have been burning before him.

“The autopsy,” Ben finally spoke, and Rey tried to compose herself, remembering this was a conversation, not a confessional, “Did they find morphine like you said?”

Rey shook her head, “That’s the labwork Finn is waiting for, the toxicology report.”

Ben pressed his hand over his face, digging his fingers into his eye sockets, “What about the cure thing, the antidote?”

“The naloxone?” Rey tried not to sound condescending as she corrected him.

“Yes, you said you couldn’t find it. Did you end up finding where you misplaced it?”

Rey thought about her apartment. The small space was just three rooms: the bedroom, a bathroom, and the kitchen-living room. She deep cleaned the whole space the other day to take her mind off Obi-Wan, and even then she didn’t find it, “Not at my apartment. Maybe the cops found it during their initial sweep of the house.”

“Wouldn’t they question you, the only registered nurse in that house, about a loose vial?” Ben raised an eyebrow and Rey had to admit that he had a point.

“So where is it?” Rey furrowed her brow, “I swear it was in my bag. I keep everything organized.”

“I believe it,” Ben nodded, “You have to be good at your job to put up with that old Kenobi.”

There was sincerity in his voice and Rey half smiled, “It’s just my bad luck. I slipped up and now everything is ruined.”

“Do you really think it’s a coincidence?” Rey thought of Finn in Poe’s jacket, and shook her head, “The one time you slip up, the naloxone goes missing, completely vanishes. All on the very same night that I told my boss about the will? One man can’t be that lucky.” 

“Even if your boss planned all this somehow,” Rey was willing to play in his hypothetical for now, “What would he have to gain? You were off the will, Kenobi told you himself.”

Ben leaned his back against the booth cushion and closed his eyes. He hummed with his arms crossed before looking back at Rey, “What happens when they find out you were responsible for Kenobi’s passing?” 

“They’ll probably take my license away right before they send me to prison. At least manslaughter.” Rey looked back out the window. She tried to resist going down that rabbit hole of guilt for later, when she wasn’t sitting in front of Obi-Wan’s godson and rightful heir to the money she didn’t deserve.

“The money, it’d go back to the family.” Ben murmured, and put his phone down as soon as Rey looked up to meet his gaze, “I googled it, the slayer rule.”

“Just now? In front of me?” Rey spat back indignantly, “Is it really called the  _ slayer  _ rule?” She asked in a softer voice.

Ben flinched, “Yeah. Sorry, I’m just trying to figure this out.” He sat up, “Follow the money: if you’re convicted on the slayer rule, that 60 million comes back to the family as an even split. My mom and Uncle Luke will likely get the publishing rights and the house but that’s still a lot of money.”

“Money that Snoke is assuming will go back to him?” Rey frowned.

“Assume is the key word there. He can’t get away with it, not this time.” Ben’s jaw clenched and she saw a flash of anger cross his face.

“I understand,” Rey tried to keep her head up, she couldn’t mourn forever.

He gave her an unreadable expression for a second, his eyes burning into her, “I’ll take care of you,” Ben blurted out, then the words that followed stumbled out just as gracelessly, “I don’t— Rey, I don’t think that you’re guilty of murdering Obi-Wan. Either way, you may have made a mistake, but it was  _ his _ choice.”

“What are you saying, Ben?” She felt a pain dig itself into her heart.

The sky began to clear up outside and the growing light gave Ben a glowing backdrop, “I bet the foes have the naloxone. They  _ have  _ to be behind this, we just have to prove it, and if worse comes to worse, I’ll give you my share of the inheritance. I don’t need it.” 

“Ben!” Rey wasn’t sure what she protested more, this conspiracy he was brewing or the idea that he’d relinquish his inheritance for her, “Why are you helping me?”

Ben tapped his fingers against the table, contemplating his response, “The day of the party, when Kenobi and I had that fight, do you know what he said?”

Rey leveled him with a stare, so he continued, “He said you beat him at go more times than me. I thought— I didn’t think I could be surpassed. All I could think about after was why he chose to say that, why he brought that up. I get it now, though, now that it’s too late. I was wrong. I was foolish and blind and I think you deserve every penny that he gave to you. I’ve taken enough from this life, for the rest of my life, honestly.”

Obi-Wan had shown Rey, once, the bills that Leia sent. The dues, what was owed. The piles of numbers filled her with anger, mostly at Ben for believing in those people. Sometimes at Han for his recklessness, for throwing his life away, but even that would feed back to getting mad at Ben for staying with the foes.  _ He should know better _ , she thought. But now, here he was. Aware and the only other person on the planet who heard her story out through and through, who trusted her. He was  _ helping  _ her.

“Ben,” Rey started but they were both startled by the ring of her phone. She turned the device over and saw Rose’s number.

“Rose!” Relief washed over Rey as she held the phone tightly in her hand.

“Rey!” The other woman matched her enthusiasm, “I just, I wanted to check in with you, see how you were feeling after all that.”

“Oh, Rose, I’m ok. Thank you.”

“Rey, is everything ok? You’re with Kylo Ren, right?”

“Ben, yes.” He perked up at the mention of his name but she kept her gaze looking out the window.

“Ben? No one’s called him Ben in years.” Rose scoffed, “Just, be careful. The foes are up to something, it looks kinda shady. I don’t know what to make of it, though. I’m going to talk to Finn and get back to you.”

“I trust Finn, I think you can depend on him.” Rey reassured before quickly pivoting back, “Wait, what shady stuff?”

“It’s dumb, don’t worry about it. Just, take your time and don’t forget your car is still here.” There was a shuffling noise on Rose’s end and Rey grew weary.

“Ok, I’ll be there soon.” Rey heard Rose give a distant goodbye, and just like that the call was done.

“What happened?” Ben reached over, not quite touching her but his fingers were close over her’s.

“I don’t know, to be honest.” Rey chewed her lip, “Let’s go back.”

Ben nodded, he walked up to the register to pay the bill and Rey noticed a text notification popped up. Immediately thinking it was Rose, Rey opened up her phone and felt her blood run cold as soon as she read the message.

It was from a restricted number:  _ I KNOW YOU KILLED HIM _ , with a set of coordinates.  _ MEET IN ONE HOUR _ .

She ran to catch up with Ben.

“A corporate campus?” Ben frowned as if the road had offended him and not this whole situation. They googled the address and found it was a full campus of offices closer to town.

She zoomed in on her phone’s map, “Mostly doctors offices, a chiropractor, a radiologist,” she scrolled closer to the actual coordinates, “Regional Forensics Laboratory.”

Rey looked up at Ben and his furrowed brow.

“Guess we’ll find out,” Ben remarked as the car slowed. They were approaching the campus, but it looked empty.

“Where is everyone?” Rey felt a chill run up her spine as they peered into the dark glass. They were alone in the parking lot, and Ben took the opportunity to park the car in the middle of the lot.

“It’s the weekend and after normal business hours, they’re probably closed.”

“Should we go in?” Rey leaned closer but she couldn’t see anything except the darkness of a closed building.

“We still have fifteen minutes,” Ben spared a glance down at his watch.

“Then tell me more about your theory,” Rey interjected, “Don’t leave me out when my fate is in your hands.”

“If my theory is right then your fate is in your own hands, where it belongs,” Ben crossed his arms over and hummed, “The naloxone going missing is an easy fix. If they were waiting for you to mess up, they’d be banking on waiting for however long until you figure out that it’s gone and you replace it - plan foiled. They had to somehow guarantee that you’d slip up. Your story, it makes sense on a surface level but big picture? It doesn’t add up.”

“You think it’s the foes?” Rey chewed her lip.

“Yes. Do I have any proof, even circumstantial? No.” Ben sighed.

They sat with the weight of the situation sinking in. Rey tried to reconcile every action but she couldn’t make it fit, maybe Ben had a point. Rey turned to him again but she froze as soon as she saw the building.

“Ben,” Rey frantically spoke. She grabbed his shoulder on instinct to get him to move, to understand, as if she could transmit what she was seeing through touch alone. He turned and saw exactly what captivated her. The building was on fire, pillows of black fumes already pumping out into the sky. Ben turned the ignition and hit the gas. Rey felt her body jerk against the seatbelt as Ben quickly drove them out of the parking lot. The black glass of the building shattered and Rey jerked at the sound as they finally merged back onto the road.

“We have to call 911.” her hands were shaking as she tried to unlock her phone.

“What?” Ben’s voice was more panicked than she expected. Somehow, that relieved her and stressed her out all at once.

“What if someone was in there?” She already dialed the number and heard the ringer pressed against her ear.

Rey must have spoken to the operator, because she eventually heard a confirmation that  _ someone is on the way _ . She felt cold and sweaty, and before she could thank the person on the line, a crashing sound broke through the space behind them. She thought she felt Ben drive a little faster, but she couldn’t tell. Rey pressed her body into the seat the rest of the drive, not daring to say another word.

When they arrived at the house, Rey sprinted out of the car as soon as Ben shifted into park. She spotted Rose as they were halfway up the driveway, sitting on the porch, arms crossed over herself.

Rey pulled the other woman into a hug, “I need to tell you everything. I’m sorry, I’m so, so sorry.”

Rose pulled away to look at Rey, a question hung on the features of her face, but Rey couldn’t stand to see it. She pulled back in to lean on Rose’s shoulder and she felt a cry rattle her ribcage.

The car had already picked up speed and bounded far from the fire when it exploded, but somehow, something in Rey felt the heat of the blast. She felt her life pull at the edge of her seat as it ripped through the sky.

“You need to talk to Finn, too.” Rose rubbed circles along Rey’s back, “You’ll be ok, we’ve got you.”

Rey tried to believe it. When Rose pulled back to sit up, she walked back into house. Rey tried to move on her own, but couldn’t get her body to comply. It was Ben’s hand, gently holding her back, that let her into the house. She leaned on him as they passed the threshold.


	4. The Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this is the end of the murder mystery, the thrilling conclusion that answers every whodunnit from chapter one

“A fire?” Finn’s voice raised to the loudest volume it’s been since Rey stepped back into the house. She was propped on the couch in the library, facing the blazing sunset from the wide windows and a blanket kindly wrapped around her shoulders. She told Finn everything, recounting the details as she did for Ben just a few hours ago.

She flinched at his sharp tone and she stole a glance at Ben. He wordlessly kicked the ground, like a child, so unsure for the first time. She held back a laugh at the absurdity of the gesture, instead turning back to Finn, “For once, that was not my fault.”

“None of it is your fault, Rey.” Finn paced around the other side of the room, digesting all the information Rey had upended on him by walking the same ten foot circuit on the carpet.

Rey scoffed, “Lying doesn’t comfort me, Finn.”

Finn paused his incessant pacing, “I’m not lying, you are. Not intentionally, but by proxy of the real culprits.”

He crossed over to the couch and sat at the other end to look at the coffee table. Splayed out were papers, more papers possibly than before, “You’ve sat here and told me everything to the best of your knowledge, and I appreciate the honesty of your convictions, but they’re half truths.”

“Finn, you’re talking in code,” Rose’s voice interjected the tension in the room. She lay a mug for Rey, hot tea and honey. Rey smiled down at the drink as she took a sip. She let the warm sweetness overtake her as she watched Rose cross the room to Ben, “Non-caffeinated, since you said you drank too much coffee anyway.” Rose held the mug out to him, an offering.

“You shouldn’t have,” he reprimanded, his arms crossed and facing away from Rose, from everyone.

“Watching a building explode is no easy thing.” Rose placed the mug down on the side table, “You’re no help to anyone like this.”

“Where is everyone anyway?” Rey couldn’t hear the echo of anything through the house, just them in the library.

“Han, Luke, and Leia are meeting some old friends for dinner. Hux and Phasma said they’d join later, so I’m sure they’ll cut it short and be back soon. Poe, on the other hand, should be here by now” Finn checked his watch.

“You called?” Poe leaned against the frame of the door. He flicked the lights on and suddenly the room was illuminated in the warm glow of the old bulbs, getting brighter by the second.

Rey didn’t even notice the room had gotten so dark as the sun waned away.

“How’d it go?” Finn sat up to meet Poe’s gaze.

“Think everyone’s tired of mourning, by this point,” Poe sighed as he sat in the chair at the base of the knife sculpture, “Interesting in one way that I thought you’d all like to hear before everyone gets back.”

“What is it, Poe?” Finn frowned at the other man, his face stern as ever.

“Our favorite foes weren’t there when they said they would, which is fine I guess. More friends took their place, but that’s not the interesting part. Hux is there now, but he’s alone.”

“Phasma’s not here,” Rose spoke up, “I saw them take off, and they have only one car between them.”

“Yeah, she’s not here. There was an arson incident over at the lab where you pulled that tox report. They pulled her out of the wreckage, but apparently they were just a few minutes too late. She died on the way to the hospital.”

The weight of Poe’s words settled into the room. No one said anything except to warily look away from each other.

“But why?” Rey’s question broke the silence, “Why burn the lab down?”

“Rey,” Rose started, but looked at Finn and Poe. Between the three, there was some secret conversation that Ben and Rey were not privy to.

“Someone better start explaining shit, we’re getting nowhere like this.” Ben finally spoke up.

Finn folded at that, “Rey, you deserve the truth,” he slid a paper off the table and passed it to her, “especially after everything you’ve been through.”

Rey scanned over the document once, but too quickly to register any of what it said. She steeled herself and forced her eyes to pass over the paper top to bottom as slowly as she could.

“Wait,” tears welled at the corners of her eyes.

“You didn’t make the mistake of switching the vials. Someone tampered with the vials, but you gave the right doses, because you’re a good nurse. Because you’ve done it a hundred times before, and you knew. You could tell the nearly imperceptible difference between the two.” Finn’s voice was soft, and Rey felt her chest tighten around her lungs.

Rey stood up, “The foes can’t get away with this. Poe, can they tie Hux to the arson at least?”

“We won’t know until we start building a case against him, but he said he stopped by to see Snoke on the way. I bet my bottom dollar his alibi will be backed by a dozen people, even if it’s not true.”

“They’re a cult,” Ben huffed.

“Speaking of, look who’s split off and joined our little resistance,” Poe laughed up at Ben, “Are you still going by that ridiculous nickname, Kylo?” Ben looked like he was about to respond when Rose cut in.

“Hey, focus.” Rose’s fists were balled at her sides, “They killed Obi-Wan, and now Phas too. It’s not right.”

“Rose is right, we need a plan.” Finn went back to pacing for just a moment, and then paused, slowly looking back to the group, “Poe, do you still have that tape recorder?”

“I can do you one better,” Poe sent Finn a wicked smile as he reached for his bag.

“Kylo Ren,” Hux’s voice sounded like acid over Ben’s speakerphone, “Are you inside?”

“Stuck on the driveway, Hux?” Ben kept his eyes glued to the phone. In the kitchen with the lights off, the illumination of the device was the only light in the room. Rose gave him a thumbs up from across the counter and over Poe’s laptop where they were taping the call. Rey and Finn watched from the doorway, ready to spring into place on cue.

“Poe is telling us to stay outside, what the hell is going on?” Hux hissed.

“Waiting for Maz to bring back the will and consult.” Ben replied matter-of-factly, “I don’t think he knows I’m in the house, these local cops.”

“Kylo Ren, you better start explaining what is happening. What did you do with Rey.”

“Convinced her to do the right thing by us.” Ben carefully read over his script, “She’s confessing everything she did to Finn now.”

Hux seemed to buy it, “Not bad, I suppose.”

Ben paused. “Was the fire you and Phas?”

“Don’t give _her_ that much credit, all she did was scapegoat for the rest of us. Really it was Snoke’s idea, the man is brilliant.”

“Truly,” Ben deadpanned, “It’s just Poe out there, right?”

“Yes, though it seems like your old man is starting a scene.”

Ben grit his teeth, “Back away and come up from the side balcony into the study. Door’s unlocked.”

“And where are you?” Hux sounded like he was already running.

“Upstairs. I can’t make a move without them hearing me. Let me know what you hear.”

“Sure,” the sound of the side door opening from the other room caused everyone to jump. Rey looked at Ben one last time before heading into the library.

“Why should I believe you?” Finn’s voice was loud, exasperated, as if crescendoing off a tangent leading up to this momentous accusation.

“You have no reason to believe me I know, but I’m telling the truth.” Rey tried to sound like she was not reciting lines that they directed beforehand.

Finn sighed, “Would someone in this house tell me what’s happening?”

“What’s happening is that Rey is destroying this family, Kenobi was just the start.” Hux marched into the library with his chin held high, “For an investigator, you’re pretty bad at putting two and two together.”

Finn gave a sharp look to Hux, “Hux, perfect timing. You seem familiar with this case, for someone that supposedly isn’t involved, save the fortune that you were snubbed out of.”

“A wrong that will be righted soon enough, as we prove this girl’s guilt once and for all.” He sneered and Rey clenched a fist.

“What do you know, Hux?” Finn stepped forward, bringing the attention back.

“The fire, why else would she expect to cover her tracks, it was all her.” Hux replied indignantly.

“That’s strange that you mention that. Phasma was there, at the time of the fire,” As Finn spoke, Rey watched Hux’s face drain to an even paler shade, a feat she previously thought impossible, “It’s a good thing Rey called 911 when she did, they pulled Phas out of there on a stretcher. We’ll find out soon if she’ll regain consciousness.”

Hux let out a breath and quickly recovered, “I assumed she would stay home after telling me she felt unwell. I’d also like to know how she ended up there today.”

“Are you sure it didn’t have anything to do with the toxicology report that you tried to hide?” Rey stepped closer, anger surging through her.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he refused to even look at her.

“Why did you do it?” Rey was teetering off-script. She didn’t care, her heart felt heavy in her chest as she stepped closer to the other man. Before she could get another word in, Finn’s ringtone snapped her out of it.

“It’s the hospital.” Finn lifted the phone as proof to Hux, and then to his ear, “Hello? Yes, Dr. Holdo thanks for calling.”

Finn turned partially to look at Rey before continuing, “Is that so? That’s wonderful news, thank you so much. We’ll be there as soon as we can.”

“Phas?” Rey asked quietly.

“Awake, and ready to talk.” Finn looked directly at Hux.

A single-syllable laugh broke out of the man, “So what? Do you think Phas is going to rat me out? Rat the whole organization out on one near-death instance? We’re stronger than that, much stronger. And even without the inheritance, I can afford a lawyer who can get me off both an arson charge and an attempted murder charge down to aggrivated assault and temporary insanity. I still win, and you still live with the fact that Obi-Wan died because of you.” Hux pointed a finger at Rey.

“Except you and I both know that’s not true,” Rey’s voice was low as she struggled to keep herself together, “The toxicology report proves you switched the vials.”

Clarity seemed to dawn on Hux, and he finally snapped, “That stupid report proves nothing. Even if I did, you were the one who didn’t catch it. You did a bad job and you’re responsible for his death. Why do you, a mere girl from nowhere, get to cash in on the insane last words of a man who owed so much to _us_ . By dumb luck, you may not have poisoned him, but _you_ caused his death.”

“ _You_ did that, you tried to frame me!”

“No-” before Hux could get another word, Finn interjected.

“So you admit to the fire, and tampering with Mr. Kenobi’s medication in an attempt to harm.” Finn couldn’t fight the smug look on his face, “We don’t need Phasma to rat you out when you have a pretty good handle on that yourself.”

Rey lifted her phone and revealed the recording, still running, “We also recorded that call you had earlier with Ben. Phasma is dead, so that bumps you up from attempted murder to actually murdering someone. On top of the arson.”

An eerie quiet settled over the man, and Rey took a tentative step back. Her thoughts fleeted back to Obi-Wan. In all his quirks publishing only the strangest novels, the man remained cryptic ‘til the end. His house was constructed in gothic style and decorated like the set for the Addams family. He lamented his failure to guide those closest to him on the right path. He mentioned once, in passing “they played life like a game, until they can’t tell the difference between a stage prop and a real knife.”

Rey would say that Hux grabbed a knife first, but she knew her hand flew for one of the handles before he raised his blade to her. Some base instinct kicked in and when Hux swung it down, she rose to meet it with a blade of her own. When the knives collided, her’s went straight through the plastic of his. Hux gracelessly stumbled over her and the two were knocked down on the carpet.

Hux was pulled off Rey almost as instantly as he collapsed over her. Rey leaned up to see Ben holding Hux in a grappling style move. She watched as Poe finally ran in and wrangled down the red-headed man, subduing him while reading him his rights.

It felt surreal. Rey on the ground with the knife still clutched in her hand, panting and looking up at Ben. He had wide eyes as he also fought to catch his breath. She saw death in Hux’s eyes, she knew his intent deep inside her stomach and she wanted to throw up again.

Ben’s hand outstretched before her and she saw his palms were red from straining to hold Hux down. Rey dropped the knife in favor of Ben’s hand and hauled herself back up. 

“What now?” her hand was still in Ben’s, their breaths mingling between them. He looked no better than a lost boy as her question hung in the air.

“Now, it’s up to you.” Finn stepped in, “I’m proud of you, Rey.”

Rey gave him a half-laugh, half-cry at that, “I should have, I should have done things differently, maybe then.” She couldn’t finish the thought.

“Don’t go down that path. Listen, you did everything right. You followed your heart, if you didn’t call 911 to get Phasma help it might’ve taken weeks to identify her body. You did good, you did the best that you could.”

Rey gave Finn a hug then, a bear squeeze that conveyed all the gratitude she could fit. She pulled back and gave Finn a weak smile, “Thank you.”

“You shouldn’t thank me, you should thank him.” Finn nodded at Ben, “for hiring me.”

Rey turned back to Ben and met his gaze. His face was red and his expression unreadable as he nodded, “I told you, it couldn’t be a coincidence.”

“He means to say that he felt guilty.” Finn smirked, “And recognizes when he should hand the operation over to someone much smarter than him.”

“Watch it, traitor. That’s an NDA you’re breaking, aren’t you supposed to keep client information protected?” Ben said with no particular malice.

“I can’t protect an anonymous client who paid in full with cash and gave no actual directions.” Finn shot back.

That reminded her, “what do I do with the money?” Rey interjected. She looked up at both of them with worry written all over her face.

“Follow your heart,” Finn smiled at how cheesy it sounded, but it worked. Rey laughed, as Finn walked out of the library. The dust was settling and she could hear the sound of passing voices in the foyer.

“Follow my heart,” she blinked up at Ben. There was a tender look in his eyes, as if he was just relieved she was here, whole and alive.

She stood as tall as she could to give him a hug. She felt him stiffen, but before she could pull back, his arms mirrored hers and they were wrapped in a tight embrace.

“Thank you,” she spoke into the rough wool of his sweater, “for everything.”

He gave her shoulder a rub with his thumb and replied, “Of course.”

She felt a clarity wash over her, and she felt calmer than she had since before all this started. Rey pulled back from the embrace and she turned to join the family in the foyer. It was time to follow Finn’s advice. _No better time than the present_ , she thought, her heart full of hope and her hand squeezed in Ben’s.


	5. EPILOGUE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> fluff time baby

Some of it was easy, splitting the $60 million between the family and Rose left each person millions richer even after the taxes were applied. Luke told her to expect that money back once  _ he _ passed, but there was no longer an edge to his voice as there was before. Leia promised she’d be back in town after her term was over, and Han kept his thank you straightforward, instead electing to talk to Rey about his car as if nothing changed between them. She appreciated that just as much.

Rose cried and that made Rey cry too; they held each other on the couch in the living room and wept for what felt like hours.

Ben, of course, moved in. Rey mentioned the inheritance and he brushed aside the offer to ask about how she was holding up, how she was.

“I’m fine. It’s still all fresh in my mind. I’m not sure what to do about Skywalker Publishing, let alone the house.” Rey shook her head, “What about you?”

“Apartment hunting, job hunting, new life hunting.” He took a bite from his plate of sausage and pancakes. Rey insisted they try a diner she swore by and Ben seemed more than happy to comply.

“Wait, are you still in that AirBnB?” Rey looked up at him incredulously. It had been only a few days since Hux’s arrest, but the idea that Ben spent that time in a cramped room was ridiculous to her.

“Yes,” he replied curtly, pointedly avoiding her gaze.

“So you’re paying to live in someone’s extra room?”

“Well now I have a few million dollars to burn.”

“That’s ridiculous when I have a perfectly good house that you can live in for free.” Rey took an angry bite out of her own pile of blueberry pancakes.

“Don’t  _ you  _ live there?” Ben’s stare went straight through her.

“Yes, on the second floor. There’s another guest bedroom up there or if you prefer your own bathroom there’s that room on the first floor. Plus easy access to the kitchen.”

Ben’s laughter was a glorious thing, and Rey smiled so wide as he agreed.

He took the first floor to Rey’s subdued disappointment.

When Rey moved in, Rose and her thought themselves lucky that Rey didn’t have much to move. Ben beat her in that way, he brought a suitcase and his car, and that was the end of it. Rey was excited to help him settle in before recalling the hasty circumstances around his eviction.

As unceremonious as his move-in was, his presence in the house was substantial. It was like gravity shifted, the sun’s rise didn't mark the start of the day. Instead, it was when Ben joined Rey for breakfast. Ben always had chores to do, new stuff to buy to replace his previous belongings, or emails to dig through. But the end was always the same, Rey would nab the dogs and shut them in her room so she knew she wasn’t alone when she went to bed.

When the letters for court appearances and legal started coming to the house, she sat on the couch with Ben. His hand held her shoulder as they read them together, until they eventually just opened all the mail together, unwrapping each envelope like candy. He walked around the perimeter of the gardens with her and the dogs, once in the morning and once during sunset.

Rey wondered, as the first week rolled around, how long this would last. She brushed her hair in the second floor bathroom and listened as Ben brushed his teeth downstairs. She resisted the urge to go down there — what would she even do? She shut the door and hurried to bed before she actually acted on her impulsive urges.

Poe called mid-afternoon a few days later. Rey had to lift her head off the table where she was bemoaning the tasks on her laptop. The piles of emails, follow-up from realtors asking if she would sell the house, collectors looking to buy Obi-Wan’s personal effects. And that was just the first hundred she could parse since lunch. She pushed the accursed item away from herself before answering.

“Hey! How’s the millionaire lifestyle?” Poe’s voice was genuinely cheery and partially pulled Rey out of her lull.

“Still ironing stuff out with Maz and the lawyers,” Rey huffed, “What’s up? How are you?”

“Boy you sound stressed,” Poe laughed, “Listen, I’m trying to surprise Finn since he’s bored out of his mind right now.”

“No new cases? He’s gotten some heavy press since this whole thing ended,” Rey snorted.

“Nothin’ that sparks his interest. I wanted to rent a cabin, maybe Maine, nothing too far, you know?”

Rey gasped, “Oh my god! Poe!” she was gushing now and she could practically hear his smug smile.

“Yeah, I’m pretty stellar. So listen, I wanna know if I can drop Beebs off with you, my vacation starts on Friday and we’ll be gone just for the weekend.”

During Poe’s explanation, Ben poked into the room, giving Rey a questioning look.

She waved at him to signal  _ everything is fine _ , but he took it as an invitation to sit at the table with her. “Yeah, no of course. Friday, anytime, we’ll be happy to dog sit.”

“We?” Poe asked, “Is Rose with you? I thought she was back with her sister.”

“No, Ben is here.” She tried to read Ben’s expression as she spoke but he was feigning boredom and stared at his phone.

“Oh! I see,” a gruesome smile was on Poe’s face, she could hear it over the line, “You and Ben just having a little honeymoon, huh?”

“It’s not like that,” she licked her lips, “I think Friday will be good, the media’s no longer camped outside the gate anymore. They’ve moved on to filling up my inbox and blowing up my phone.”

Her diversion seemed to work, Poe’s tone softened to genuine concern, “Aw Rey, I’m sorry about that stuff. Ask Maz if she can set you up with a new phone, she’s good at that sort of thing.”

“Thanks, Poe, I appreciate you looking out.” Though she didn’t know what to make of Poe’s implication of Maz.

“Of course, I’ll let you know when we’ll be over Friday.”

“No problem, talk soon,” Rey moved to hang up, but not quick enough to miss Poe's reply back.

“Use protection!” The line went dead and Rey felt heat rise up her neck and through her cheeks. She texted Poe a threatening message and turned her phone face down on the table.

She didn’t dare look at Ben, instead she tried to focus on anything else. She heard scratching at the door that was probably Artoo demanding a walk.

“Let’s take a walk,” Rey stood up. The sun hadn’t begun to set, the days were stretching just a little bit longer. Ben didn’t hesitate to follow her into the last shreds of light.

Rey couldn’t sleep that night. She had managed to wrangle the dogs into her room but she must not have closed the door all the way because soon after, the door was wedged open.

Since Rey moved in, she still couldn’t bring herself up to the third floor. Rey hopped out of bed and watched them run upstairs. She sighed and leaned on the railing. Above, the moonlight flooded what she could see of the top floor. The distinct wood panels and wallpaper reminded her of how Obi-Wan seemed especially fond of it all, despite how tacky everyone said it looked. The first floor seemed extra dark by comparison, the furniture mere silhouettes in black. She contemplated going down and fixing herself some tea when she heard a door open.

“Rey?” Ben’s sleep-filled voice was rough as he shuffled over to the stairs. “Is everything ok?”

Rey nodded, unsure of what to say. They stood like that for a strange, brief moment: her towering over him, and his body like a shadow below.

She took a step down and the sound startled them both. She continued softly at first before finally letting her full body weight down on the last few steps. Who else was there to wake?

It was just them in the dark, and on the last step she was closer to eye-level with him than ever before. “Ben,” her voice was no louder than a whisper.

“Rey,” his hands slid over her waist and she tried not to gasp at the touch.

Her fingers hovered over his face. There was a shine in his eyes and she wanted to capture the look of adoration he had. She finally leaned in and kissed him.

He pushed to meet her instantly, he moved his lips and the movement made her whole body shiver. Her hands flew up to hold his face and hold him where she wanted him. She kissed him softly as her thumbs grazed over his jaw. She couldn’t believe she went this long without touching his face, let alone kissing him. Ben seemed equally enthralled with roaming his hands around her back and pressing her even closer to him.

When they broke they were both breathless and smiling so wide.

“I can’t sleep alone,” Rey stated, an answer to a question Ben didn’t have to ask.

“My room,” he tried to speak but she kissed him between his words. He matched her intensity, and kissed her over and over like it was all that he ever wanted from her.

Rey tried not to whine when he pulled back, instead taking his hand and allowing him to walk her to his room.

“Do you want water? Tea?” He shut the door once she shook her head. He followed behind as she climbed onto the mattress.

“Just you,” she sighed, burrowing under the blanket and looking up at him intently.

Ben laughed and rolled in with her. She curled up under his chin as he slung his arm over her shoulder. She watched his chest move as he took deep breaths, waiting for sleep to pull her in.

After a few minutes she bit her lip, not wanting to wake him but curious — she asked the dark, “Ben, are you awake?”

“Yes,” his voice was clear and she shifted to look up at him.

His hand followed and cupped her cheek as she adjusted, “I was so tired, but now I can’t sleep.”

“I’m wide awake,” he answered, a rare smile on his face as he looked at her. She felt radiant under his gaze.

“Did you not move out because of me? Were you even apartment hunting?” She frowned.

“No, just job hunting.” He smiled, “I write cover letters for everything, just to pass the time.”

“You’re kidding,” she was smiling despite herself.

“You weren’t exactly apartment hunting either.” Ben’s hand moved from her cheek to stroking her hair and she preened at the attention.

She returned the gesture with a hand on his chest. The feeling of his ribs expanding captivated her, “There’s a lot on my plate right now. Besides, I have this house.”

“And I have you,” he gave her forehead a peck, “you should try and sleep.”

“Only if you will too.” She dared and he pulled her in. They tried again, and eventually Rey’s breathing started to even out. Cocooned in Ben’s arms, she felt sleep wash over her like the calm of low tide.


	6. EPILOGUE part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this is the very short conclusion to this reylo AU

Rey rolled away from the window and crashed into Ben. Daylight filled the room and Rey groaned as she tried to hide from it. She burrowed against Ben’s back and elicited the man to turn and face her.

“You need light blocking curtains,” she mumbled and he wrapped his arms around her, tugging her to him.

“I like waking up like this,” he said back just as quietly.

“Blinded by the sun?” she wriggled until one arm was free to hug him back.

“No, next to you, I mean.” Rey felt him kiss the crown of her head and she didn’t know whether to melt or roll her eyes.

“I do too,” she sighed. Her hand explored the long planes of Ben’s back in a lazy way.

“Why do you wake up so early if you hate it?” He pet her hair and she leaned into his palm. “You’re usually up at this time.”

“Probably because I want to see you. I wake up and I know if I go downstairs you’ll come out and join me.”

Ben’s laugh was like a bass drum with her ear pressed against his body. “You saw right through me.”

“Subconsciously.” Rey responded quietly, unsure if he could even hear her, “as if I knew before I even really figured out why.”

“I feel it too, you know? I want to protect you but really it’s been you protecting me.” His hand pulled her closer to him at the spot between her shoulder blades. It was as close to a hug as they could get, lying down on their sides.

“Stay, Ben,” she was starting to tear up, “be with me.”

“I’m here,” his words were a promise. She nodded and pushed herself up. His hands were still on her back and her arms wrapped around his neck as she kissed him again. This time was a promise, however quick it was. She drew back and let him wipe every tear from her cheeks. His thumbs were rough against her skin and she finally wiped her whole face with the arm of her sweater.

“Sorry,” she mumbled.

He shook his head, “Don’t be. You’re ok, I’ve got you.”

He kissed her eyelids and it was perfect.

BeeBee was a small auburn and white retriever, some fancy breed that Rey already forgot the name of. Poe had instructed her on every possible fact in regards to this dog including the names she answered to (mostly variations of ‘Beanie Baby’ and somehow the number 8), her feeding schedule, and the bag of food she preferred. Rey helped haul the supplies into the kitchen and assured Poe the whole time that they could handle one more dog in the fray.

“So, you and the Senator’s son, huh.” Poe leaned against the doorframe in the foyer, “Where is he anyway?”

“We’re not attached at the hip, you know. He went to run a few errands.” She quipped, “He’ll be back any moment now if you want to stay. I can make coffee.”

“Thanks, but I do have to go back. Finn’s freaking out about packing.” Poe sighed, “Just wanted to mention something, y’know, under the table.”

“What do you mean?” Rey raised an eyebrow at Poe’s phrasing.

“I mean, the foes.” he said seriously, “Hux agreed to spill everything. Snoke has an APB out for him, the whole order is going down soon. I wouldn’t be surprised if it breaks by the time the 5 o’clock news rolls round.”

“Is Ben going to be implicated in any of this?” Rey scanned Poe’s face.

“Hey, he’s going to be alright.” Poe raised his hands up and gave Rey a smile that actually reassured her, just a little bit, “He’ll be ok, word is they’ll bring Ben in to corroborate Hux’s stories and act as a witness. Plus Senator Organa is pulling all the stops for him.”

“A witness.” Rey breathed, relief beginning to fill her chest.

“Yeah, it’ll be ok. I promise you, we’ve all got it covered. Just wanted to let you know, figured it’d be easier coming from me.”

“Thanks for telling me, Poe. I appreciate it” Rey gave him a genuine smile, “Listen, have fun in Maine, I’ll text if we run into any issues.”

He returned his own smile, beaming from cheek to cheek, “I will, thanks for taking the baby.”

“Anytime, say hi to Finn for me too, will you?”

Poe gave her a thumbs up, then jumped back into his car. It wasn’t over yet, but they were getting there.

Ben brought back take-out from a restaurant that Rey recommended in passing. She was surprised to see the bag amongst the other items in his hands, Ben got a family sized portion of the dish she liked and they ate together crouched on the coffee table. They had put the TV on but it was more for background noise, the sound was half-muted so they could hear each other talk. Rey couldn’t think of a better meal she ever had.

“I can’t believe she doesn’t beg,” Rey watched as BeeBee obediently sat on the chaise across the room. Rey sat between Ben’s legs and used his knees as the occasional arm rest, “Meanwhile we’ve gotta lock up the other two while we eat.”

“Maybe they’ll pick up her mannerisms while she’s here,” Ben put his fork down and wrapped his arms around Rey.

“Should I let them go and see?” Rey stabbed at another piece of chicken and popped it into her mouth.

“Don’t go,” Ben’s voice was light but he kept her bracketed against him. She smiled to herself as she leaned her back against his chest, settling into him like a throne.

“Poe had mentioned something when he brought BeeBee.” the words tumbled out of Rey before she could think better of it. She wished she sounded a little less on edge, but she didn’t know how he’d react.

Ben didn’t even flinch as he asked, “About me?”

“Sort of. He said Hux is ratting out Snoke, the whole organization. They said you might have to testify as a witness.”

He let go of one hand to stroke her hair, “That’s it?”

“You’re not worried?” Rey chided, finally putting her fork down and bringing her hands over his.

“I did some really bad stuff, Rey. I’m not,” Ben was searching for the right words, Rey could feel his furrowed brow in the air, even if she couldn’t see it, “I’m not proud of who I was. I succumbed to a level that I knew, deep down, was bad. I knew it but I stayed anyway.”

Rey turned to face him at that, “Until you didn’t. Until you left and tried to help me out of a dire situation.”

Her hands were on his shoulders and he searched her face, “Yeah, you really threw a wrench into everything.”

Rey laughed, her heart felt like a million little bubbles in a glass of champagne. She carded her fingers over the wisps of black hair haloing Ben’s head, “We can run away, you know. We have plenty of money.”

Ben laughed and she loved the sound of it in the air, “I don’t think that’s necessary,” he wrapped his arms around her, “I’ll do whatever they say, whatever it takes.”

“To do what, exactly?” She smiled to show she was just teasing him.

“To stay with you, just like this,” he gave her a chaste peck. Just that was enough to spread a heat across her face; she was probably beet red but she didn’t fight it. Instead she leaned against his forehead and let him feel how she burned for him.

“Good,” she breathed, giving him a small smile and grabbing a fistful of his shirt, “I like this.”

“I do too,” Ben’s eyes crinkled with how wide he smiled, and Rey savored the sight, “I’m not going anywhere, I promise.”

Ben kissed her and she leaned into him. He was more than she’d ever expected, and all that she could ever want. She kissed him back and hoped she could convey that to him. By the way he surrendered to her touch, she guessed he did too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading, this is my first publicly published star wars fic, really appreciate anyone who read this far and stuck with it :)


End file.
